5 Things We Can Learn From Calendars

The great thing about learning is that it is not confined to certain times or a specific location. Learning can happen anytime, anywhere.

I like to highlight this fact by, once a month, looking at things we encounter on a daily basis and seeing what important lesson we can from them.

In today’s installment of “Five Things We Can Learn From Everyday Objects” we are going to talk about something very timely….

5 Things We Can Learn From Calendars

1. We Don’t Have To Be Boring

To channel my inner high school speech… A calendar is defined as “a system for fixing the beginning, length, and divisions of the civil year and arranging days and longer divisions of time (as weeks and months) in a definite order.” Talk about a boring definition. But calendars are hardly boring. You can find sports calendars, movie calendars, & music calendars. There are calendars with babes, babies & Babe: Pig in the City. Anything we can think of, we can turn into a theme for a calendar. Just because we may be seen by others as a system…civil…definite order…, doesn’t mean we have to be boring.

2. When We Are Memorable, We Outlive Out Shelf Life

In 2009, I was given an awesome calendar featuring characters from The Simpsons. Guess how long I have kept it hanging up in my room? If you guessed 12 months, you are wrong. The correct answer is 7 years (and counting). Sure, the day, months & years expired on December 31st, but I have kept it hanging for all these years and turned it into decoration. I can’t be the only one that keeps an old calendar around. This Christmas, my grandpa was given a customized calendar featuring pictures of his great-grand kids. You better believe he will keep that thing around into 2017 and beyond. As I mentioned above, there is nothing that says we have to be boring. When we are memorable, we will last long past our expiration date.

3. Order Is Important

Yes, I keep my 2009 calendar hanging, but I do not use it to track my week. If I did, I would be thinking January 12th is a Monday. I get a new calendar every year and it is one of the many tools I use to keep my life in order. Calendars are great because they can feature things like the cast of Downton Abbey, but they are also great because they give us structure. They show us the days, weeks, & months and can help us plan accordingly.

4. It Is Nice To Have A Back Up Plan

I like to think I will always remember my mom’s birthday. Even though I have not forgotten it in 30 years of living, I still put it on my calendar. Why do I do that? Is it because I am actually afraid that I will forget what day it is and not send her a birthday cake emoji? Not really. I do it because my memory is not perfect. Things happen and distractions arise. We all get busy and it is nice to have a backup plan.

5. Make Sure You Can See It

My wall calendar is above my bed. My phone calendar is in the top left, aka lead-story, position on my cell phone app list. I rely on both so much that I keep them front and center. Whether it be our calendar, our bank account or our hair spray, when something is important, we make sure we can see it.